Duck Breast With Spiced Plums
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes concurrently
Serves: 4
- 4 duck breasts (around 190g/200g/7ozs. each)
- 3/4 tablespoon salt
- 3/4 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Oil for brushing
For sauce
- 1 cup/250ml/8/8flozs. water
- 1 cup/220g/7.7ozs. sugar (or omit the water and sugar and use the syrup from the tinned plums)
- 420g/15ozs. tin plums in syrup (reserve syrup) or 250g/8.8ozs. fresh plums
- 6 star anise
- 1 cassia or cinnamon stick
- 8 cloves
- 2/3 cup/165ml/5.6flozs. fish sauce
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
Step 1 - Mix the salt and pepper together and coat the duck breasts on all sides with this seasoning. Steam the duck breasts for 15 minutes (they won't be fully cooked at this stage, only half cooked). Remove and rest for 10-15 minutes if you have the time. I reserve the steaming water with all of the duck juices to make rice with.
Step 2 - While the duck is steaming make the syrup and preheat the grill til hot. Boil the water and sugar together on medium high heat for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Then add the plums, star anise, cassia or cinnamon and cloves and simmer for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce (I know 2/3 cup of fish sauce seems like a lot but it works) and lime juice and stir.
Step 3 - Roll the steamed duck breasts in the flour shaking off any excess and place on a heat proof baking tray. Brush the floured duck with some oil and place skin side up under the grill. You can also do this in a frying pan frying skin side down. Grill for 5-8 minutes (5 mins if you want it pink and 8 if you want it cooked through) and the the skin is crisp and it is done to your liking. Remove from heat and rest for 5-10 minutes and then slice up and serve with the sauce on top.